The exterior of the hotel is of a most architectural value on the three street fronts. On Center avenue is the main entrance to rotunda or hotel lobby. On Water street is the other entrance to lobby flanked on either side by a porch, the total length of which is 66 feet, this porch commanding a view over the new park and the river. On Saginaw street and the easterly half of Center avenue the building is occupied by stores.

The materials used for facing are a pressed brick of a soft buff color, trimmed with buff Bedford limestone. The lower story or base of the building is built up in rustic courses of brick and stone giving a well defined appearance of solidity. The walls above the first story are of a plain face, relieved on the corners of end pavilions by rustic coursing extending from lintel course to the underside of architrave of main cornice.

The windows with stone sills and arches are carefully grouped so as to form artistic effect.

The building is surmounted with a bold Doric cornice and balustrade.

Particular attention has been given to the details and to the proportion of the building by the architects and superintendent, and the result would seem to justify the care exercised.

CONSTRUCTION.

The building throughout is constructed entirely of fireproof materials built on a complete steel frame with reinforced concrete and tile floors. The finish of floors being of cement and tile throughout, no wood floors are used in the entire building. The partitions are constructed of brick and mackolite, the only wood used being for interior finish such as doors and window trim.

GENERAL INTERIOR.

The main floor contains eleven stores, four fronting on Saginaw street and seven fronting on Center avenue. On Saginaw street a driveway 14 feet 6 inches in width divides the two blocks of stores, affording ample and easy access to the rear of all stores and also convenient approach to the service part of the hotel proper.

The main floor of the hotel contains a large rotunda or lobby containing approximately 5,000 square feet of floor surface. Directly opposite the Center avenue entrance at the south side of lobby are the passenger elevators of the latest type, high speed, electric, each having a capacity of 2,400 pounds. These elevators are enclosed from basement to fourth floor with specially designed wrought iron enclosures finished in bronze. Between the elevators and south wall of lobby is the main staircase of iron and marble. On the west of staircase are the telephone booths. Convenient to the Water street entrance is the ladies reception room. On the east of the elevator enclosure is the main hotel office connecting with a private office. A large check room is conveniently placed near the elevators. Immediately south of lobby on this floor are the main dining room and ordinary and kitchen, pantries and storerooms, etc. On the east side of lobby are the writing room, grille room and buffet, the latter two rooms having direct access to the driveway through vestibules.

On the second floor directly over the rotunda is a large space designed for parlors. In the center of this space is a large open well, octagonal in shape, 30 feet in diameter, affording a perfect view of the main lobby and forming one of the most attractive features of the hotel. The balance of the second, third, and fourth floors is divided into guests bedrooms, 144 in all, and bathrooms arranged so that the rooms can be used ensuite or single, access to all rooms being through wide corridors. In addition to the 30 bath rooms are several toilet rooms and lavatories. In fact, no bedroom in the house is without a modern, thoroughly equipped lavatory. The servants' quarters are on the second floor comprising bedrooms, bath, and toilet rooms and lavatories. Especial attention has been given to these quarters and no trouble nor expense has been spared to render them perfect in every detail.

In the basement are located a large modern barber shop, a tailor shop, the main toilet room, eight large sample rooms, space for Turkish bath rooms, boiler room, coal room, service room, cold storage room, servants' dining room; laundry, baggage room, wine cellar, and basement for all the stores. The barber shop has an entrance from Center avenue as well as from the lobby. The boiler room has also direct outside communication. The laundry and baggage room open into a corridor leading to the driveway. A lift of 1,500 pounds capacity in the driveway affords a convenient and ample means for handling baggage and supplies.

INTERIOR FINISH.

The aim of the architects in designing the interior finish has been to preserve a dignity commensurate with the importance and size of the hotel, using the very best of the different kinds of materials and employing only skilled labor in the erection of same. That this proceedure has been carefully followed is evidenced by the successful results. The architectural treatment of the rotunda is essentially classic in feeling, the walls are wainscotted to a general height of three feet six inches with English veined white Italian marble, with plain base and body, with a moulded marble cap. This wainscotting forms the base of the square columns and also the counter of the hotel office. The windows and doors of the rotunda have architraves of the same marble. The treads of the main stairs are also built of marble.

On the north wall between the two windows fronting on Center avenue is located the large fireplace. Built of the very finest quality of buff Bedford stone to a height of seven feet and from this point of gray roman brick to the cornice line, it forms one of the most interesting architectural features of the lobby. Another pleasing effect is produced by the open well to the second floor parlors, surmounted by a handsome balustrade and enriched mouldings.

The cornice of lobby of classic detail with modeled enrichments is run on both sides of all beams which divide the ceiling into panels.

The floor is of ceramic mosaic laid out in especial design indicating the same scheme of paneling used for the ceiling. The colors of the tessera blend in with the general scheme of decoration. On the floor directly in front of the elevators is a superbly wrought mosaic panel of "Wenonah" the Indian Maid.

The scheme of decoration for the lobby is very pleasing, the walls in soft sage green and metallic coverings in oil, the cornice treated in dull metallic effects relieved with gold. The ceilings are colored in soft green and ivory colorings relieved with light gold ornamentation to correspond with walls.

The writing room is paneled with wood wainscoting to a height of four feet, the walls are decorated in a Tuscan red relieved by paneling, also in color in a Pompeiian scheme of decoration. The ceiling and woodwork are painted black with colored ornamental borders, and the plaster cornice is treated in dull metallic effects. The floor of the writing room is of ceramic mosaic tile. The dining room has wood wainscotting 3 feet 6 inches high and heavy wood architraves to doors and windows. The floor is of mosaic, paneled in design, of colors to blend in with the decoration.

The woodwork is enameled with a soft ivory tint. The walls are tinted in soft robins egg blue colorings with the walls paneled in sage green and gold. The ceilings and cornices are decorated in old ivory colorings, relieved with light gold and green decoration to correspond with border work on walls. The treatment of the ordinary opening off of dining room is similar in architectural and decorative effect.

The buffet is treated in English effect, the walls being wainscotted to a height of eight feet in oak with deep V cut joints. This wainscot is surmounted by a Stein shelf supported on brackets.

Above this wainscoting to the wood cornice the wall is covered with English open timber work over rough plaster panels. The ceiling is heavily beamed with oak beams, with plaster panels between same. The front of the bar is built of design and material similar to wainscot. The back bar is built of oak cabinets on either side, glazed with leaded glass of old English design, the center of back bar paneled with a mirror and tile framed with bold carved moulding. Settees and tables are all especially designed to harmonize with the general scheme of the room. The floor is laid with Welsh quarry tile with cement joints. The English oak wood work is decorated in rich design of soft colorings to contrast with the wood work.

The plaster pane between the beams and open timber work is shaded in oil colorings of Tuscan red, gray, and metallic effect.

The wood beams are treated in the same decoration of rich colorings, glazed to antique effect.

The architectural treatment of grille room is German. The walls are panel wainscoted in oak to a height of three feet six inches. Above the wood wainscot the walls are divided into panels by heavily moulded and paneled pilasters and wood frames with carved enrichments. The field of the panels on walls is of robins egg blue tile 4 inches square. The windows are glazed with leaded cathedral glass of a soft amber tint of bottle end design. Between wood cornice and tile panels is a rich painted canvas frieze treated in a Dutch design in mural decorations of figures in oil, with the ceiling panels between beams in soft shaded colorings to correspond. The beams of ceiling rest on carved grotesque brackets treated in metallic effect. The floor is of Welsh quarry tile.

On the second floor the parlors over lobby are decorated in a similar scheme as the lobby. A Renaissance design is stenciled on walls in green and gold colorings. The cornice and ceilings are in old ivory colorings.

All of the bedrooms throughout are papered on walls and kalsomined on ceilings and frieze. The papers on walls have been most carefully selected as to quality, design, and coloring and are in perfect harmony with the carpets and hangings of the rooms.

Fifteen of the bedrooms have been especially finished with expensive papers and with decorative ceilings to correspond.

All corridors have been wainscoted with painted burlap with rail.

{NOTE: Prior to the demolition of the hotel, I removed some of the mahogany stained rail moldings and found the original color of the burlap, where it was hidden beneath the chair rail, to be a Tuscan red... A. J. Flood.}

All walls above burlap have been painted a soft shade of green, the ceilings tinted to match. All bath rooms have enamelled walls.

All wood work of halls and bedrooms is of birch stained mahogany. All hardware is of the very best procurable, of old brass in the three upper floors and of verde antique, and black and gold or brass on the first floor to match the different treatment of rooms. The kitchen, pantry, and storeroom have walls and ceilings painted with enamel paint of ivory shade. The toilet room in basement is wainscoted in marble with painted walls and ceiling. The floor is of ceramic mosaic tile. The corridors and barber shop are treated similarly. The sample rooms are tinted on walls and ceilings.

Very careful study has been given to the whole scheme of decoration. Special designs have been made for the different rooms, etc., and none but skilled artisans have been employed on the work. The result is perfect harmony of color enhancing the architectural features and details to a very successful degree.

Reference should also be made to the leaded glass work of windows and ceiling lights. Especially designed stenciled borders have been used in this work delicately colored glass and carefully designed leaded work. All lend their share to the perfect completion of this beautiful hotel.

FIXTURES.

All of the electric lighting fixtures throughout the house were designed to correspond to the different finishes and designs of the rooms in which they are placed. Four firms manufacturing lighting fixtures entered into competition for this work and the successful firm has accurately carried out the work according to its designs submitted in competition.

MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT.

The rotunda, dining room, ordinary, grill room, and buffet are heated and ventilated by a fan system which takes fresh air from outside the building and filters it and treats it. The capacity of this outfit is 10,500 cubic feet of heated air per minute. A mixing damper is provided on each duct in the fan room so that the required amount of fresh air may be continually delivered to the different rooms at any desired temperature in either winter or summer.

The main toilet room and employees toilet room in the basement are ventilated by means of a high pressure exhaust system which takes the air from the rooms at the closet bowls thus preventing any possible escape of odors into these rooms.

The entire radiation throughout the building is operated in connection with a Paul system and the steam fitting equipment is of the highest order thus insuring rapid and noiseless heating of all radiators.

The power plant of the building was designed with the idea in mind of the possible future installation of engines and generators for lighting the building, but at present all electric current is supplied from outside service. In the boiler room are installed three horizontal tubular boilers with an aggregate capacity of 255 horse power, one 200 horse power feed water heater and receiver, a pump and receiver for the returns from the heating system, a boiler feed pump, and a centrifugal pump with belted motor for discharging to the sewer all drainage from the boiler room, the floor of which is below the sewer level.

All the water used in the building is filtered through two mechanical quartz filters with a combined capacity of 3,000 gallons per hour.

Every room is supplied with hot and cold water, the water being heated in the service room by steam at 40 pounds pressure from the boilers in specially constructed rapid circulation heaters. The hot water is stored in a steel tank having a capacity of 700gallons. The hot water is distributed to the various fixtures by means of a gravity system of circulation so that hot water is avaliable at each lavatory almost immediately upon opening the faucet.

Nearly all the cooking is done by steam direct from the boiler at 40 pounds pressure, the kitchen being supplied with a complete equipment of modern utensils for this part of the work. All condensation from the various devices and from the water heaters is discharged into the feed water heater and thence is pumped into the boilers. By doing this no heat is wasted.

The kitchen is ventilated by means of a 21 foot disc fan with a direct con- nected motor, which has a capacity of 5,000 cubic feet of air per minute. The fresh air of the kitchen is admitted through direct-indirect radiators and through screens from the dining room and grill rooms, thus preventing odors from the kitchen from going into these rooms.

The electric wiring for the entire building is all encased in galvanized iron conduit and is one of the three wire systems of mains at 115 and 230 volts alternating current, with circuits operating at 115 volts. There is thus no higher potential than 115 volts at any lamp or switch. The wiring and fixtures are designed for brilliant lighting of all the main parts of the building and the porches. The current is distributed from several centers at which are located slate panels with a switch and fuses for each circuit. Each panel is enclosed in a steel box with a steel door. All the lines of conduit are mechanically connected with these cabinets, making a continuous system.

Fire protection has been provided in the form of hose racks with a good supply of underwriter's linen hose. There are four stand pipes connected to the underground system and at each stand pipe on each floor is a hose rack with a supply of hose. The lengths of hose are distributed so that there is no part of the building which can not be reached from one of these stations. The underground system is connected directly to the city mains with a check valve, and in addition is connected to three steamer connections on the three streets on which the building fronts, thus permitting six single stream fire engines to pump water into the building at once.